The Act of Nurturing

Even though vengeance can overtake one's mind, the act of nurturing is inscribed in human nature. In Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein", the creature is rejected by his creator and human kind. As a result, the creature is fueled by vengeance and wants revenge on his creator. However, throughout this process, human nature causes the creature to be nurturing. Furthermore, the creature's spontaneous acts of nurture, cause him to learn and crave knowledge.

The creature stumbles upon a cottage with a family who reside in it. Due to his previous encounters with humans, the understands his hideous features do not allow him to integrate into society. Therefore, he is isolated from society. The creature doesn't attempt to interact with his neighbors, the Delacey's. "I was in reality the monster that I am...Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity. "Although, the creature provides the Delacey's with firewood and discontinues stealing their food. "I often took his tools...and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days." His actions demonstrate how the creature cared for his neighbors.

In an attempt to form a friendship with the Delacey's, the creature is rejected once again. The creature-acting on vengeance- burns down their cottage. "The cottage was quickly enveloped by the flames." However, the creature is still inclined to nurture human beings. He proved this when the creature rescued a girl from drowning. "Suddenly her foot slipped and she fell into the rapid stream. [I] saved her, and dragged her to shore." The creature is naturally inclined to save the girl, thus demonstrating his nurturing ability.

To My Mother.. (Finale)

How can a house, a collection of wood and glass, have so much power over someone? In order to make my virtues project memorable, I had to first start with a foundation. My home is the foundation of all my memories and my collection of items. But a home truly isn't a home unless it's filled with cordial bodies. Those inside the home fill it with love and warmth and, most importantly, memories. I believe memories are memorable. Memories are our most precious possession that we hold. Not everyone recollects the same, but we do share the same memory. In order to obtain accurate memories, I had to ask my mother about the memories I share with her. As the saying goes, there are two sides to every story. Not only did I want my project to be heart-felt, but I also wanted it to be valid. Building a project like this not only helped me understand my mother better, but my peers as well. I am thankful for Mrs. Mahr for inscribing a new virtue in me: diligence. The following is the last virtue in my project. 

Key #10 Thankfulness:

When you are pleased and grateful for what you have.

My mother is someone who values every single thing she has. My mother grew up very poor. She never had a collection of Barbie dolls or a board game. She only had sticks and rocks to play with. When I am at the store with my mom I have a tendency to say “well it's only $1..it’s only nail polish...it’s only this", but for someone living in poverty a dollar is all that they have and nail polish is a luxury. My mother is the one who showed me to appreciate everything that I have and I do. I am also thankful for my mother. She has given me clear guidance and good advice. She has shown me love and is always there when I need her. Be thankful for what you have. Be thankful for your parents, your friends, your teachers. They are your moral compass. So next time you see someone you love and care about just give them a hug and say thank you. Make them feel appreciated.    

To My Mother.. (part 2)

As I continued my Virtue’s project, I never forgot my true purpose in constitutiing this project: obliging to it being memorable. I collected that my mother is memorable and that she deserves an entire project based on her influence on me. However, I was in charge of portraying all her magnificent qualities through my writing and the use of rhetorical devices. But I feared failure. I feared I would not do my mother any justice. I feared that my project wouldn’t be memorable. How could such a project have this effect on me? Perhaps it's the amount of love I have in her gave me anxiety. The following virtues were hardest to write due to the amount of anxiety and stress I felt.

Key #6 Acceptance:

A person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it or protest it.

A key to failure is accepting your mistakes and moving on. But it does not only involve accepting your mistakes but also the people around you. To accept someone is to show respect for and validation of who they are, what they do, and for the life and path they chose. It by no means agreeing with or approving of anything about another. A place where one feels safe to be who they are is a happy place. My mother was never quick to judge. She told me that we all have different qualities and opinions but that doesn't mean we can’t respect one another.

Acceptance doesn’t just involve accepting others but it also involves accepting yourself. There have been many moments where I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. I absolutely hated my body, the clothes I wore, even the way I spoke. I just wanted to shrivel away until I was less than dust. One day my mother asked me why I was so obsessed with losing weight or why I always wore the same clothes or why I never went out anymore. I told her that I wanted to change. I wanted to become better. She didn’t get angry or upset. She calmly said “you need to accept who are first and then improve those amazing qualities.”  What she said was true. You need to see the truth about yourself and accept it and then decide whether or not you want to change.

Key #9 Love:

An intense feeling of deep connection.

The first person I ever loved was my mother and she was the first person who loved me in return. Love is the constant source of pleasure and pain. But we can’t predict which it will be from one moment to the next. Love is such a great experience. Everyone’s definition of love is different. My definition is my mom. She is the only person who holds the key to my heart. Loving someone else gives you a purpose in life. It makes you happy. It makes you scared. It makes you mad. It makes you go insane but love is what makes you feel. Love is what makes you alive. Love will get you through the bad days in a blink of an eye. In order to love you have to be vulnerable. You have to be courageous. You have to be willing to sacrifice. You have to be open. You have to be willing to fail. You have to be accepting. You have to experience joy. You have to have hope. Every virtue includes love. Its inevitable. My advice to you is to not suppress love but instead absorb it. But remember that no one deserves fake love so don’t give fake love.

Gloomy and Hopeless

This week in class, we were asked to write about the characterization of the creature in Frankenstein. How does Mary Shelley characterize the creature in the passage? The passage I chose was page 917. In this passage, Mary Shelley characterizes the creature as incredibly gloomy and hopeless who yearns for human interaction. The creature attempts to integrate himself into human social patterns, but his hideous features frighten all who see him. The townsfolk have demoralized the creature, and have forced him to live a life of isolation. "I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of dependence and mortification." (page 917) As a result of his isolation, the creature discovers the world on his own. The creature observes his fellow neighbors and develops an elegant and formal speech. "Yet I pronounced such words as I understood with tolerable ease." (page 917) The juxtaposition of this speech with the creature's deformed features, create an effect that increases the reader's understanding of the creatures tragedy. The irony is that the townsfolk fear his monstrous presence, but are monsters themselves for lacking empathy and mercy towards the creature. The creature strives
to formulate a connection with his neighbors by understanding them. Mary Shelley portrays this when she says, "My thoughts now become more active, and I longed to discover the motives and feelings of these lovely creatures." (page 917) To conclude, the creature is a dynamic and round character. Mary Shelley wants the audience to sympathize with the creature when he is forced to live a life of isolation.